are you checking my pulse?
by aprms
Summary: Ness fluff, loosely based on the promo. First fic in years, be nice please! :) T for language and some mild heated moments.


**_So I haven't written in like, years. It's such a nice feeling! Anyway this is my first NG fic and my first fic in a LONG time so be nice please as I am always nice! Haha._**

**_I did this in I think half an hour after watching the promo. As much as I love them tearing at each other I REALLY love their tender moments. I don't think we get enough of them and it really looks like next week we might! Um, breakfast in bed, what?_**

**_Sorry for skipping over the whole day, I kind of didnt want to write that part. Also I have deviated from what the promo shows._**

**_if you're reading this, thanks! :)_**

**_..._**

Jess was already awake when she felt his fingers brush over her neck. They were slightly calloused as he barely touched her, the caress giving her goosebumps. She had been fighting consciousness for a good ten minutes now, because she knew if she opened her eyes she would eventually have to deal with the issue that had placed itself in her lap as of last night.

Last night. Oh boy. Her goosebumps became more prominent as the memories flooded back, in particular the feeling of his teeth below her ear and his arms around her waist. She was most definitely in trouble.

Unable to fight it she woke up properly, cracking one eye open to read Nick's clock. 9:36. She inwardly groaned, fully aware that they would actually have to get up soon, in case Winston or Schmidt came home.

Nick's fingers pressed a little harder into her neck and she stiffened, turning over slowly.

"Are you checking my pulse?"

Nick just stared at her for a few seconds, and she immediately panicked, imagining the state she must be in after their wild night. She had never exactly been a morning beauty.

Quickly bringing her hands to her eyes to check for sleep in them, she rubbed her face and attempted to flatten her hair, which felt a lot like the back end of a badger right now. Nick was grinning a little bit as she reached for her glasses. He moved his hand away from her and tucked them under his armpits, looking up under his lashes at her nervously.

"Sorry, I just thought you should wake up," he said, chewing his lip. Cold panic flushed through Jess at his words. Oh god, he didn't want her to go did he? He'd woken her up, he wanted her gone already. Was this a one night stand? It's not like she could go far. He knew that when he made the decision to throw himself at her last night.

"Oh right. I guess I slept in. I'll just-" she started to mumble, pushing herself up a bit. He quickly put his arm out and flattened her back down, a little roughly. She looked over at him with a shocked expression, and his eyes went wide. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I didn't... Oh god, this isn't going how I planned when I woke up half an hour ago." Nick chuckled, pressing his hand over his eyes.

Jess watched him, a ghost of a grin on her lips. He was so goddamn cute when he was awkward. And he'd just admitted to thinking about her.

Nick peeked out from under his hands and let out a breath when he saw her smiling at him.

"We are both such weirdos." She announced.

"I know. I've always wanted to wake up next to a woman who is just as insane as me." Nick laughed, then shot Jess a sideways glance, wondering if he had maybe said too much too soon. Jess was gazing up at the ceiling, a glazed, happy look on her face. She murmured an agreement. It fell silent again, Nick propped up on his elbow, unsure of what to do.

Jess broke the silence. "So...last night."

They shared a glance and simultaneously blushed and started giggling. Jess' chuckles subsided and she sighed contentedly.

Suddenly Nick reached over with his free hand and rubbed his thumb over Jess' cheek, resting his palm under her jaw and turning her face towards him. Jess, her stomach still doing somersaults from his unexpected touch, inhaled sharply as he tipped his head down and caught her lips in a sweet, impossibly tender kiss that seemed to go on forever, neither one wanting to break it. Her bottom lip quivered when he eventually pulled away. She slowly opened her eyes to find him looking right at her.

"I know I said let's not think about it. But I have been thinking about it. Since I woke up I mean."

Jess realised she was holding her breath. She wanted to touch her mouth, it felt like her lips were fizzing with electricity. Nick continued as she stared numbly at him.

"I think you might be the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Sure, at the beginning you pissed me off so much. But I still found myself gaping at you every time you tried to change a lightbulb, or stamped your foot when you couldn't reach the tea bags, or got out of the shower while I tried not to choke on my toothbrush. I know we were always clashing, but honestly I had no idea what to do with myself around you."

He took a shaky breath while she blinked a few times, feeling a lump forming in the back of her throat and fully expecting to wake up again, Nick poking her in the neck and asking her to get out of his room.

"Anyway, that's not the point I'm trying to make," he carried on, fiddling with his sheets. "The point is, I'm sorry for all the times I've ever hurt you, with the arguments, and Shane, and all the other stupid things I find myself doing since you came into my life. Because I like you...a lot. Contrary to what you might think."

He stopped, laughing nervously again and looking at her. It wasn't the prefect speech, but it was enough.

She was positively giddy. And...yep, definitely twirly. But she pushed it down, turning her body to face him and reaching for his hand, intertwining their fingers. They both watched their hands and how easily they fit together for a while, before returning their gazes to each other, brows furrowed, the big question reflected in both their faces. Jess opened her mouth-

The loft door slammed. Nick sat bolt upright, accidentally pulling the covers off Jess' upper half.

"Nick!" She hissed, jumping up to try to regain some of her dignity. His eyes raked over her in surprise and then immediate lust, making her feel dizzy and totally ready for round two. He smirked at her.

"Jessica!" Schmidt's voice rang out into the hallway outside. "You left your father in the hallway, hurry up and get out of bed, I'm already two and a half minutes behind schedule for my pre-gym exfoliation!"

Jess and Nick both froze, unsure of which part of that sentence was more unsettling. Then Jess leapt out of bed, suddenly realising the situation.

"HOLY-" she shout-whispered, gesticulating wildly.

"CRAP!" Nick finished, following suit.

"Where are my CLOTHES? I don't understand, oh god this is not happening..."

They both flailed about uselessly before Nick regained some composure, calming himself and pulling a shirt out of his closet, tossing it in her panicked face.

"Pull yourself together Jessica!" He hissed at her as it hit her square in the face. She caught it, dumbstruck and a little offended, before slipping the shirt over her head and pouting at him as he dressed himself.

They both ran to the door and opened it a crack, Jess tucked under Nick's chest so they could both see. Jess' father was looking uncomfortable as Schmidt paced up and down the hallway, huffing to himself. Nick looked down at Jess. There was no way of avoiding this terrifying and humiliating moment. They both steeled themselves, before Jess yanked the door open.

Schmidt turned toward the noise and his jaw dropped to the floor as Jess stepped out of the wrong side of the corridor, scantily clad in the flannel. Nick followed sheepishly, pulling the door softly shut behind him, as if wishing the ensuing chaos would be as quiet as the click he heard.

A few horrifically silent seconds passed.

Schmidt seemed beyond words. He spluttered for a few seconds, before pushing out a strangled "-WH-AT-"

"Good morning."

The sound of her father's voice made Jess feel like a teenager again, caught kissing her date goodnight outside her house ten minutes after her curfew. She looked up through her bangs at him, surveying his calm exterior and letting out a sigh.

Nick however, was not sighing. He was shitting his pants. This was on his top ten list of things he absolutely COULD not deal with. Christ, they were both such messes, anyone would think they'd just finished having hot sex ten minutes ago. He refused to meet Bob's eyes, genuinely fearing the consequences. He wanted to panic moonwalk all the way to China.

Jess turned and looked over her shoulder at him, her glasses slipping down her nose. He pursed his lips at her.

It was going to be a long day.

Jess was tucked under a few fluffy blankets on the sofa, watching a documentary about gorillas. It had indeed been a long day. It had been the longest and most awkward day of her life. She yawned a jaw cracking yawn, aware of how exhausted she was after spending the day keeping her Dad away from Nick. Luckily Schmidt had dragged him off for a serious chat that Nick looked genuinely ecstatic to be having, if it meant he wasn't getting his genitalia chopped off by Bob. After a relatively stress free day of wandering around the area, Jess eventually had to bring her Dad home, and then all hell broke loose, which ended with Nick trying to climb out of the loft window for the second time. Bob had yanked him back in by the scruff of the neck before Schmidt and Jess had intervened, dragging them apart and having stern words.

"Dad! Stop it! I'm a grown woman and I can sleep with Nick if I so choose!" She had shouted, aware she was stamping her foot like a child, which wasn't helping her prove her point. She saw Nick grinning at her, reminded of his speech that morning.

Schmidt had scoffed at her words and stormed off to his room. Bob had decided to calm down and instead had shot Nick filthy looks as he helped Jess set her bed up on the sofa, coughing loudly every time he saw their hands brush past each other or they made eye contact.

Nick had gone to bed, thinking this was best, and Bob had eventually retreated to Jess' room. Now Jess was alone.

The door opened and Winston entered, surprised to see Jess sleeping on the sofa. He sat with her for a while, snorting at the gorillas and listening to her story about why she was there.

Jess knew Winston thought her and Nick were a bad idea together, but she appreciated his silence as she lightly brushed over the topic of her and Nick "doing the nasty", and how drama and chaos had ensued. She would rather Winston heard it from her than Schmidt.

When she was done she asked him about his day, and he told her about his night with Daisy, and that they had gone for lunch today, which had turned into a day out, which had turned into dinner and a movie, and then back to her place again. She grinned at his story, happy that Daisy seemed to be falling for Winston. After Shelby he needed someone in his life. Her thoughts drifted to Nick again.

Winston wished her goodnight and left her to her thoughts. She tossed and turned for a few hours, then at 12:07 am enough was enough.

She threw the blankets back and slipped off the sofa, tiptoeing to Nick's room. She paused at his door, hearing his light snoring. Nodding, satisfied, she opened the door excruciatingly slowly, barely making a squeak.

Impressed with her efforts, she shut the door behind her and slipped her pajama top off. She felt invigorated standing there wearing only a pair of boy shorts. Nick was still sleeping soundly, so she climbed on to his bed, making her way up to his face. He stirred but didn't wake properly, so she lowered her head and moved her lips against his mouth, coaxing him into consciousness. Half asleep, he responded groggily, slowly kissing her back, before sliding his hands out from under the covers and wrapping them around her back, pulling her down on top of him. His hand moved to her hair and he grabbed a handful of it as Jess bit his lip softly.

"Jess," he groaned, as she tugged on his hair, "what are you doing? Your Dad-"

"Shut up." Was all she said in response, moving her mouth to his neck and nibbling it.

Nick suddenly realised Jess was lying half naked on top of him.

She gasped as Nick suddenly turned and pinned her underneath him, his covers twisting around them. Face flushed and eyes hooded, she looked up at his face. All traces of sleep were gone, replaced with his obvious need to have her right now.

"Ok." He said, and she let out a breathy giggle that quickly turned into a stifled moan as Nick found that spot below her ear once more.


End file.
